The Central Grizzlies will head out to face off against the Buchanan Bears at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Central is coming into the game hot, having won their last seven games.
Central is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of California's top teams: Clovis West, who was ranked 18th at the time (Central was ranked tenth). The Grizzlies came out on top in a nail-biter against the Golden Eagles on Friday, sneaking past 6-4.
Kaia Galaviz
| 04/04/25 vs Clovis West | 12 |
| 03/31/25 vs Bakersfield Christian | 7 |
| 03/28/25 @ Stockdale | 12 |
| 03/25/25 vs Hollister | 16 |
| 03/22/25 vs Liberty | 17 |
| + 5 more games |
Kaia Galaviz spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on four hits and racked up 12 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in ten consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Ella Bakholdin was incredible, going 1-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Kiki Diaz also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen bases of the season.
Meanwhile, it was close, but on Saturday Buchanan sidestepped Monache for a 7-6 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Bears.
Brooklyn Ainsworth made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 3.1 innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. Ainsworth was also big at the plate, scoring a run while getting on base in two of her four plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Harmony McMurry, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, three RBI, and one stolen base. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March. Sammie Kulak was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Buchanan's record is now 13-3. As for Central, their victory was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-1-1.
Tuesday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Central hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .342. However, it's not like Buchanan struggles in that department as they've averaged .330. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Central couldn't quite get it done against Buchanan when the teams last played back in April of 2024 as they fell 7-4. Can the Grizzlies avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
